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Malik Taimur
,from cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's political party,
said such channels could have a negative influence on children.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) holds a majority in the
northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is on the
frontline of the fight against the Taliban and other militants
that kill hundreds each year.
The resolution submitted in Punjab province's assembly requested
"the federal government that it make it binding upon PEMRA
(state regulator) that it close down cartoon channels,
specifically Doraemon, or only run them for limited time
periods".
"Children's education and physical health is being affected by
these 24-hour cartoon channels," the resolution said.
Doraemon is a small, blue robot cat from the future sent back in
time to help a hapless schoolboy and his family.
Many episodes of the animated version feature lessons about
moral values, and the series has been translated into over 30
languages. Japan even selected Doraemon as a cartoon cultural
ambassador in 2008.
After Khan's party member filed the petition, #PTIvsDoraemon
began trending on Twitter in Pakistan, with many people
wondering why the party didn't focus on more pressing issues
such as child abuse, corruption and poverty.
"In a country where child abductions and abuse is rampant, PTI
decides to raise its voice for the real threat our children
face. Doraemon," said Twitter user Assad Zulfiqar Khan.
Another Twitter user Adeel Hussain said: "When you finally wipe
clean poverty, hunger and corruption. So you have nothing better
to do. #PTIvsDoraemon."
(Reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik;
Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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